Pumping equipment



19.58 4 F. w. PLEUGER ETAL 2,818,818

PUMPING EQUIPMENT Filed March 29,- 1955 2 sheets-sheet 1 1M WEEkI'E IEZi M1 M (Zia/b4. $4,101.

jwkwm 1 ATTORNEYS PUMPING EQU PMENT Friedrich W. Pleuger and Johann Christian Grob er, Hamburg, jGermany, assignors, bymesne assignments, to Friedrich Wilhelm. Pleuger, Hamburg, Germany Apu i t nM r h .9, 9 ,62

Claims priority, application Germany April 8, 1954 5. Claims.v (Cl. 103-220) This; invention relates in generaltofluid pumping apparatus, particularly for fluid, having. foreign matter mingled therewith or suspended; therein, and, more specifically, relates to mechanismfor such apparatus adaptedto protect a pump, from the, adverse effects. of foreign matter and to remove the same from the-fluid.

Special problemsv arise in petroleum drilling and extraction when low-yield. (-e. g. l.5:4' liters/minute), deepprobe. deposits are involved. Experience has shown that practical considerations. limit the minimum'size-ofrisingmain. diameter which can. be used, evenin.- such low-yield wells. In consequence, thespeed. ofiflow of the oiltravelmg up the well riseris not high. enough to prevent mingled or suspended foreign matter having a specific weight greater than that of the oil (e. g. sand, salts, water and other substances) from. settling. Itis the problems re sultiugfrom the settling. ofthese. impurities onto the pumpingequipment at the bottom of-the well whichv the inventionis particularly suited? to solve.

Ordinarily, a. piston or plunger type of pumpis used in. such operations and the discharge side of the pump forces the oil andforeign matter into the vertically-arranged'riser which extendsupwardly through the earth to. the collectionv station. at the surface. Thedischarge end; of the pump. usually has a, pressure valve which. is closed on the intake stroke. of the pump andiopened on thedischarge stroke. The foreign matterhavinga higher specific gravity. than the oil willtend to settle outaround the discharge end of the pump.

Accumulated solidsare, liable to be jammed in the pressure valve to such an extent that oil or foreign matter may, on the intake stroke, belsuckedback intothe pump from the riser. In some cases. faultyfvalve operation can even cause a complete breakdown of the pump.

Further, water mingled with the oil being forced through the pump may form a column of considerable height in the riser which impairs the efficiency. of the operation because the oil, after leaving the-pump, must first travel through the column of water-before'it can be moved upwardly throughtheriser to the surface. EX- perience has shown that, in the course of a few weeks, the bottom two or three pipes (each about 9m. long) of the conduit may become water-filled.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide purging mechanism insertable atthe base of an oil well riser and operable to positively convey. foreign matter away from the region of the pump discharge valve, and to separate, store and then periodically dischargethe foreign matter, thereby protecting the pump against damageand faulty operation and improvingthe quality of oil sent to the surface.

Another object of the invention is to.provide means for increasing the velocity of fiow in the region of the pump discharge valve to ensure that foreignmatter' will be carried along by the oil and to provide a collection chamber separatedfrom the region of the discharge valve, into which chamber foreign matter may settle from the relatively slowly moving column, of liquid above the ump.

nited States Patent 2,818,818 Patented- Jan. 7,, 195.8

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Yet another object-of the invention is to provide means for purging foreign matter from the collectionchamber, said means being electrically controlled at the. surface.

Still; further the invention has as an object the provision of an electrical supply system for the pump motor and purging mechanism utilizing; a supply line common to both elements.

How the foregoing: and other objects and advantages are attained will appear more fully from; the followingv description, taken together with the accompanying: drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional elevation of equipment according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a circuitdiag-ram illustrating a power sup.- ply system for the solenoid operated valve shown in Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a circuit diagram illustrating alternative power supply system for the solenoid;- and Figure 4 is; acircuit diagram illustrating another alternative power supply system for the solenoid.

While the invention will be described in connection with oil well pumping equipment, it will be. apparent as the description proceeds that the invention is applicable to a wide variety of fluid pumping systems involving the protection of a pump discharge valve from sediment or the removal of settled foreign matter from the fiuid being pumped.

The invention is useful with many diflerent types of pumps and by way of example, reference is made tow the pumps shown in copending applications 497,630, filed March, 29, 1955, and 497,628, filed March 29-, 1955 entitled. Pumping Equipment. for Viscous Liquids and Diaphragm Piston Pump, assigned to the assignee of the present application.

Referring to Fig. l, a housing H of the, pump (not shown) is associated with the bottom end. of ariser'R, which encloses a nozzle N, surmounted by reversing bell B and forming, together with the wall of the riser, a chamber or sediment trap T. Sediment removal. valve V, operated by purging meansP, isassociated with an aperture in the riser R positioned to facilitate removelof foreign matter from the sediment trap T.

In more detail Fig. 1 illustrates pump. chamber inlet ports 5.5, (whichv may advantageously be disposed annularly in the top of the pump housing H.) having valve plate 6 mounted to occlude flow through the apertures; 5 during the pressure or discharge stroke of the pump. The plate 6 (two portions of which are shown in Fig. 1- advantageously includes inserts 7-7 of plastic material selected to effect a tight seal When displaced. upwardly against the metal 8 surrounding the aperturesS.

Discharge or pressure valve member 9, which, together with valve seat 10, may provide plastic-to-metal surface contact, is mounted on valve stem 11 andinterconnected in its operation (by means not illustrated) with valve plate 6. The details of this valve mechanism are fully disclosed in the above identified application entitled Pumping Equipment for Viscous Liquids. The build up of oil pressure occurring during the pressure stroke of the pump will'close the apertures S'by upward motion of the plate 6 and displace valve 9 upward to permit flow asindicated by arrows 1212.

The falling off'of pressure occurring during the suction stroke will permit the head of oil inthe riser toseat' valve 9 and lower valve plate 6, thus permitting oil (together with any foreign matter mingled or suspended therein) to flow from the surrounding strata through the inlet ports 5 and into the workingchamber of the pump.

Ifthe nozzle N, bell B and purging means P were not present, the oil discharged aroundvalvemember. 9.would enter. directly into the bottom of. the riser. R, for. travel upwardly therethrough. As discussed above, in certain applications the velocity of the oil in the riser is not sufadjacent the valve member 9, and also how the invention provides for the collection and removal of foreign matter.

The nozzle N has an interior passage 13 having a progressively smaller cross sectional area in the direction of fluid flow. In consequence, oil flowing in the direction of the arrows 12 and upwardly through the passage 13 will flow at an increasing velocity, ensuring that foreign matter will be swept along withthe oil and not permitted to settle adjacent the valve member 9.

As the oil leaves the upper end 14 of the nozzle, it encounters the interior surface of the bell B and is de flected to flow, in the direction indicated by the arrows 15, into the sediment trap T as indicated by the arrows 16-46.

The nozzle N and bell B are supported within the riser R by the screw threaded portion 17 and the web portion 18 (apertured as at 1919) respectively.

Since the sediment removal valve V is normally closed, the oil can only exit from the chamber T through the apertures 1919, into the well riser R. As the relatively high velocity oil leaves the flow passage 20 in the bell B, it enters the much larger flow passage surrounding the nozzle and bell assembly. In consequence, the oil velocity falls off and entrained foreign matter will settle in the sediment trap T surrounding the base of the nozzle N.

The space available for the deposition of solid foreign matter between the nozzle and the adjacent inner wall of the riser is adequate to permit operation of the pump for a period of several months, under normal operating conditions, before it becomes necessary to empty the sediment trap.

There follows a description of the sediment removal valve V and purging means P adapted to facilitate removal of foreign matter from the trap T and lower portion of the riser R.

The main body or core 21 of the purging means P includes a shank 22 which may be threaded for cooperation with a threaded aperture 22a communicating with the interior of the riser. The shank 22 is chamfered as at 23 to provide a valve seat closely fitting the flared valve member 24, the engagement here also preferably providing a metal-to-plastic surface contact in order to insure a tight seal.

Valve member 24 and back plate or flapper 26 are mounted on opposite ends of valve stem which is movable in the bore 27 centrally located in main body 21.

A plurality of flow passages 28-28 extend from the region underlying the valve member 24 outwardly through the main body 21 to permit flow as indicated by the arrows 2929. A spring 30 abutting the back plate 26 and the bottom of an annular slot 31 in the main body 21 urges the back plate, valve stem and valve member in direction to seat the valve member and occlude flow through the passages 28.

The main body 21 also serves as a core for solenoid coil 32 which, when energized, attracts the back plate or flapper 26, and effects motion of the valve assembly toward the left as viewed in Fig. 1 to close the gap 33 and unseat the valve 24. The core 21 and flapper 26 are constructed of magnetic material to provide a path for the flux from coil 32, the whole assembly being adaptable for use with either A. C. or D. C. current, delivered by means of a cable 34 extending to the surface.

When the accumulation in the riser R and chamber T is sufficient to warrant discharge, the coil 32 is energized and unseats valve 24. The head of fluid in the riser will cause flow through the passage in the shank 22 and vents 28 and hence purge the accumulated matter in the chamber. The coil is kept energized a time suflicient to complete the dumping operation.

In order to avoid flow of discharged matter directly into the inlets 5-5, we have provided a protective sheet generally indicated by the numeral 35. A wide variety of forms of sheet is possible, depending upon the arrangement of the pump inlets.

Attention is now turned to the. features of the invention relating to the provision for actuating the solenoid.

In pumping operations of the kind in question the pump may be located several hundred feet below the surface of the earth and the laying of electric supply lines down to such depths involves considerable expenditure of time, labor and material. The laying of additional lines for supplying the solenoid is, therefore, undesirable and may lead to maintenance problems. The solenoid supply for the present invention avoids these difficulties by utilizing, wherever possible, conductors necessary for reasons not connected with foreign matter removal.

A soleinoid supply is shown in Fig. 2 wherein a polyphase supply (two or three phase preferably) generally indicated by the numeral is connected to a switch 41. The lower side of the switch is connected to lines 42, 43 and 44, which lead to the pump motor (not shown). Two of the terminals, 45 and 46, on the top side of the switch are interconnected by lines 47 and 48 to lines 42 and 43. In this arrangement, the solenoid coil 32 is connected in the line 42, and operates the valve V.

When the switch 41 is in the lower position I, power is fed to the several phases of the motor to operate the same. When the switch is in the upper position II the motor is stopped and power is fed through the lines 42 and 43. The current in the lines 42 and 43 risesto cause opening of the valve. The reason for the rise in current as between the two positions of the switch is that in the upper position the motor is not running and in etfect acts as a short circuit. The voltage drop across the coil 32 is small, but in any event, this may be balanced by compensating resistors 49 and 50 in the lines 43 and 44. Also, the magnitude of the current for energizing the coil 32 can be regulated by an adjustable resistor 51. The solen'oid is designed so that normal working current to the motor does not cause pick-up.

Another system for energizing both the pump motor and the solenoid from a common transmission line is shown in Fig. 3. Here, polyphase supply is indicated by the numeral 52, which supplies power to the lines 53, 54 and 55 leading to the motor (not shown). When it is desired to purge, a signal from the generator 56 is coupled into the line 53 by the transformer 57, the primary winding 58 being connected to the generator and the secondary winding 59 being connected in said line. This signal is of a frequency much higher than that of the polyphase supply and is picked up by a tuned transformer 60, the primary coil 61 being connected in the line 53 and the secondary coil 62 being connected to a filter generally designated by 63 which is connected to the input of a fullwave rectifier 64. The output of the rectifier is connected to the solenoid coil 32 operating the valve V. In this arrangement provision is made for independently energizing the motor or the solenoid coil.

In Fig. 4 is shown another embodiment which requires only a single supply line.

Polyphase lines designated by numeral 65 supply the pump motor 66. In the laying of these lines an additional line 67 is included which is connected to the solenoid coil 32 actuating the valve V. The coil is also connected to the pump housing H or to the casing of the motor. Since the riser R is metallic, a voltage X, preferably D. C., may be applied at the surface between the line 67 and the riser R when it is desired to energize the coil 32. In this arrangement provision is made for independently energizing the pump motor or the solenoid coil.

In the embodiment of Fig. 2 a synchronous motor may be used in lieu of the solenoid for opening and closing the valve. In the embodiments of Figs. 3 and 4 a D. C. motor may replace the solenoid for operating the valve. It will be understood that where a motor is used some standard means for motor reversing is employed.

We claim:

1. For use in a well riser in association with a submerged deep well pump having a discharge valve through which liquid and entrained foreign matter flows upwardly into the well riser, a foreign matter removal device comprising a flared nozzle arranged in the riser immediately above said pump discharge valve with its larger end in position to receive the discharge from the pump, said nozzle having a flow passage of progressively smaller cross section in the direction of flow to provide for flow of material from the region of the discharge valve at a progressively increasing velocity, a foreign matter collection chamber adjacent the nozzle, said chamber being arranged to discharge into the riser, deflecting means mounted adjacent the upper end of the nozzle and adapted to deflect the discharge from the nozzle into the collection chamber, the flow passage through said collection chamber being of larger cross section than that of the upper end of the nozzle, whereby the flow velocity of the material leaving the nozzle decreases to permit foreign matter to settle in the collection chamber, a foreign matter removal passageway venting the collection recess to the well outside the riser, a valve for the passageway, means for biasing said valve toward flow occluding position, and remote control means for unseating the valve.

2. A construction according to claim 1 in which the collection chamber surrounds the nozzle within the riser and the deflecting means comprises a downwardly open bell member arranged to surround a substantial length of the upper end of the nozzle to provide an annular flow passage of cross section larger than that of the upper end of the nozzle, said bell being adapted to revert the flow from the nozzle into the collection chamber.

3. A construction according to claim 1 in which the control means comprises elcctromotive means for unseating the valve, a conductor extended from the foreign matter removal device to the surface of the ground, said elcctromotive means being electrically connected between said conductor and the well riser, and means for applying a voltage between the conductor and riser whereby to actuate the elcctromotive means and unseat the valve.

4. For use in a well riser in association with a submerged deep well pump which has a discharge valve through which liquid and entrained foreign matter flows upwardly into the well riser and which is driven by an electric motor supplied with current by three conductors, a foreign matter removal device according to claim 1 in which the remote control means comprises elcctromotive means for unseating the valve, and a switch for selectively operating the pump motor or said elcctromotive means, said switch being adapted in one position to pass three phase current to said three conductors and in another position to pass two phase current to two of said conductors, said elcctromotive means being connected with said two conductors for actuation by said two phase current.

5. For use in a well riser in association with a submerged deep well pump which has a discharge valve through which liquid and entrained foreign matter flows upwardly into the well riser and which is driven by an electric motor supplied with current by a plurality of conductors, a foreign matter removal device according to claim 1 in which the remote control means comprises elcctromotive means for unseating the valve, generator means for imposing a signal on one of said conductors of frequency substantially higher than that of the motor power supply, and means associated with the elcctromotive means and with said one conductor for picking up said signal and thereby actuating the elcctromotive means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 195,051 Sell Sept. 11, 1877 2,145,541 Forsberg Jan. 31, 1939 2,387,035 Miller Oct. 16, 1945 2,690,713 Urmann Oct. 5, 1954 2,743,084 Arutunofi Apr. 24, 1956 2,747,737 Bryer May 29, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 28,325 Great Britain of 1902 587,798 Great Britain May 6, 1947 

